


Caught and Collared

by FullmetalSunshine (Baekhanded)



Series: Royed OTPoly [12]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: But just a little, Coma, Kidnapping, M/M, Pain, Police, Police Officer Roy Mustang, Thief, a little side of murder but its not graphic or anything, but the project is SAFETY, can you guess who the omc is, coming together, cop, i hope it makes sense its 5am, oh theres lots of cursing, working on a project
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:20:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26232577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baekhanded/pseuds/FullmetalSunshine
Summary: Roy had been after this brat thief for so long, he hadn't expected the other to be waiting, let alone get a proposition.Roy was a bleeding heart and the thief had seen right through him.
Relationships: Edward Elric/Roy Mustang
Series: Royed OTPoly [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1814119
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35
Collections: RoyEd OTPoly 2020





	Caught and Collared

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! 2 in one night, we call that an Inspiration Station!!!!
> 
> its 5am! :D

Roy wanted to smack his stupid face. He had been after this damn brat for  _ years  _ and now he was face to face with him and he was frozen stiff. He had waited for Roy to show up, Roy wasn’t stupid he knew as much. He knew that the little brat had been waiting, lounging on an expensive, priceless, fucking antique chaise like he owned it, like this wasn’t a museum like that wasn’t an artifact. Roy was fuming, he was absolutely fuming. How dare he? How dare the little brat? How fucking old was this kid anyways? He looked fucking 12.

“Took you long enough to get here.” Oh Roy wanted to shoot him. His damn fingers itched and twitched but no- no he couldn’t. He had to do this by the law. This little brat had to pay somehow. 

  
  
“I admit, it’s a surprise to see you waited to get taken in. Thought your little game would go on much longer.” He grit out. 

The thief on the couch waved a hand, “It’s not like that- I need your help, and I think you’ll help me~.”

  
  
“Why so confident?” 

  
  
“Cause you want to make sure this stops right? You wanna get the shit back? I can make it happen. If you take me in though.. I guarantee not only will I get out, but I'll live only to make your life a living hell. And you know i’m not lying, you know I will.” He could almost see the other’s grin through the mask, hell he could hear it in his voice and it gave him the same sensations nails on a chalkboard might. The voice was lovely, but the words were barbed and Roy was sucked in. 

  
  
The worst thing was that he was right. Roy knew the boy was clever, knew he’d get off or out or whatever the hell. He figured no prison could keep him when the other clearly had a goal in mind. Knew he’d never have hopes of having a peaceful day ever again. So he swallowed his pride and asked, “What do you want.”

  
  
Like a switch the playful demeanor left, it was almost jarring, “I want you to help me find my brother.” 

Now that was a surprise and Roy’s eyes showed it. Before he could talk the other hopped off the couch, or chaise or whatever the hell the fancy lounging couch was called. He elegantly landed on his right foot and he tossed a paper to Roy’s feet, “That’s what you need to know. I’ll meet you tomorrow night. Don’t be late officer pretty boy.” 

  
  
Roy really wished he’d have shot him.

__

The paper didn’t have a lot of information on it. It had a location- assumably the rendezvous the following night, the other bit was a message- or the scan of a message. Someone had taken the thief’s brother from the hospital, and he needed to be there, clearly. Roy felt his stupid bleeding heart tendencies coming out and he got to work immediately.

He visited the hospital first, asking about patients that had gone missing. He wondered if the thief had known he’d do this, had known he would find out his name through this. Roy could find anything he wanted about him now.

Alphonse Elric had disappeared three days before without a trace, but a message on the bed dedicated to the elder brother.

Edward.

__

There wasn’t much to find out, which frustrated Roy beyond belief. He had the hospital’s recordings, he had all the information he could get on both brothers, and even then he just had a 24 hour period to look through and maybe 20 pages of information, more than half of it being hospital documentation. How much could one person- one family go through? It struck a chord within him.

His curiosity was piqued and he found himself heading to the rendezvous location.    


  
The thing is, he knew Edward was attractive, he’d seen a photo, but it was something else entirely seeing him in person, dressed in regular clothes and sitting on the railing to a bridge. His hair was longer than he’d anticipated and braided to his head on one side and wild on the other. He was a vision and the people walking by starred as well. Roy had seen many people- met many and was drawn in by many more looks, but none even held a candle to the beauty of Edward. 

He didn’t seem to have a care in the world. Roy knew better. He was willing to get caught, give up his identity, they were all they had. Roy knew devotion when he saw it. The blonde turned and Roy almost faltered at those eyes. Molten gold. He was dripping in riches from DNA alone. 

Upon closer inspection, getting to see the ethereal beauty of the other up close, Roy could see golden rings and ruby decorations in those braids, speckled through his hair. Roy felt an almost desperate need to run his fingers through those locks. Would they be soft? Coarse? Warmed from the body growing them or cold as the metal they resembled?

“You showed up. Knew you would.” he wasn’t grinning or anything, just stating a fact. “So you know everything huh? Gonna help me or gonna arrest me? Al doesn’t deserve to pay for my crimes.”

  
  
And Roy...he knew it. He knew that the elder Elric had turned to crime for that exact reason. Hospital bills were expensive, and he had already been in debt. A vacant father, a deceased mother, limbs torn from an 11 year old frame, and a 10 year old that’s been in a coma for 10 years. Roy...didn’t know how he could do it, the debt alone would have crushed anyone twice his age. How did he not end up in the system? How did no one care what happened to children?

  
  
“You already know the answer.” It was the smartest answer he had, it didn’t give up just how much he ached for them, just from 20 pages of report.

Edward did smile then, but it didn’t reach his eyes, “Great, come on, i'll show you what I got.”

This time as he hopped off, he landed on both feet. Roy could hear the metal as it hit the ground. Edward had nothing to hide now, and Roy followed like a man possessed. 

Edward led him to a skeevy part of town, a place Roy wouldn’t have imagined in a million years to be taken. The way into his lair seemed to be some parkour and a heft climb up a dinky fire escape and he was a little nervous, but he followed hesitantly. The inside of the house was not what he expected. It was small, yes, but homey. There was a small red couch, dark and soft looking. It looked like he used it as a bed more than anything. The supposed bedroom had taken on the visage of a detectives table. There were so many books piled high but it wasn’t cluttered. It was nice. In a neighborhood that was no doubt filled with crimes Roy might not even have names for, Edward had carved out a nook all his own. A safe one. 

Roy could respect that. He did quickly find out though that the other rarely ate, or rested and ROy didn’t really like that. He was maybe a bit soft in the heart, especially for people that had been through hell and back yet still fought tooth and nail. 

Edward stood at a desk and spread out papers- pictures and notes. “These guys took ‘im. Don’t look at me with that face, I know they did because I know my enemies.” 

  
  
Roy quirked a brow but took the pictures. They looked like Drachma, but what could they possibly have against an Amestrian thief?

  
  
“Why? Why would they take him? Just answer me that.” That was a fair place to start and Edward sighed.

“Cause I had to take something from them. High price big buyer. I’m noy loyal to anywhere y'know? I might be here in Amestris but it’s only for Al. I’m part Xerxian, but I've sold their secrets to Creta. I’ve got links in Xing and Aerugo are my best buyers. ‘Course it’s the fuckin’ Drachman’s that find out my weakness.” He was leaning against his desk, this clearly had hit him hard.

Roy was still trying to process how this thief moved to have so many connections. “What do you even need me for?”    


  
Edward looked at him and Roy was struck. He looked so  _ tired.  _ Life had not treated this one well. 

“Cause they’re official...they’d scent me a mile away but...you...I think you can get close- can get the intel I need to find where they’re keeping him...I know you wanna see me hang but I can’t- I can’t leave my brother all alone, I have to save him. If it’s the last thing I do. I have to.”

  
  
Roy nodded, “Alright, alright...I’ll help you. You’re right, your brother doesn’t deserve to suffer.”

  
  
Edwards' smile was small and sad. And then they got to work. 

__

Roy was genuinely surprised by how much he truly enjoyed spending time with Edward. How his heart pattered funny in his chest when Edward fell asleep against his shoulder, or when he was comfortable enough to show his automail. He hadn’t ever revealed names or sources, but Roy really knew all he needed to. He did the best that he could with what he had.  _ It’s either artifacts or my body, and no one wants to fuck a monster.  _

Roy highly doubted he looked like a monster, there was just no way, but he was secretly glad he hadn't taken that route. Things could have been worse somehow. Disease mainly. More fines probably. 

But that didn’t matter, they were working, and Roy was falling. It was going to be hard taking him in after all of this…

“Do you think it’ll work?” Edward didn’t sound confident, but Roy knew it was just nerves. His brother was so close and he was worried. 

“I know it will. You’re possibly the best thief I’ve ever had the luxury of meeting, and I am quite charming.” He grinned, just to make Edward laugh, and it worked. 

“You bastard!” he laughed and pushed him, “You surely are something.” 

Roy grinned and Ed kept laughing.

He was falling deep.

Fuck.

__

The day had come and Roy wasn’t even nervous. He was determined and he really  _ was  _ charming. It was little matter getting into the Drachman delegations’s good graces. They thought he was just a dumb Amestrian. In the police force. He had access to information. He’d managed to map their meeting areas and knew which rooms he didn’t have access to. Hell he’d even found out the main bosses stash houses. 

Ed had already raided most of them, it was the big bosses house- but really they already knew that. Roy had to keep him busy, or at least get as much more information as he could…

He couldn’t help but be a little worried. This was the night regardless. Edward would get what he wanted or they would all die trying. 

__   
  
Ed had always said his luck was pretty shoddy when it really mattered. Roy hadn’t believed him until the lights had gone out and panic started to ensue. Roy was sufficiently freaked out and confused they didn’t question him, they did try and get him out of their place though.    


  
Then there was the sound of impact, something wet on Roy’s face and the unmistakable scent of iron. Then guns came out and Roy felt even more panic. This was the only chance he had to find Edward and get them both out of there. Whatever was going on- whatever was happening it was their only shot. It was, well it was good luck. Right? Elric luck notwithstanding. Roy still didn’t really believe it. 

Not until he saw the other being held up by some thug in a room that he’d not been in, with another thug keeping a different almost blonde who looked confused but worried. Edward was fighting like a vicious cat, but the thug seemed to know to avoid two certain limbs. Something had been done to make them inoperable. They were both dangling uselessly and Roy could almost swear he saw sparks coming from the wires. 

He didn’t hesitate to throw himself into the one thug, tumbling to the floor. He heard the dull thunk of metal and knew Edward fell with him. He heard the other grunt but was too busy focusing on knocking the thug out. A cry sounded from somewhere to his right and there were footsteps rushing in from behind. 

He turns to see Edward already defensive, but the group that came in had their hands up. The main thug pulled a bandana down to reveal his face.

He had a clear Drachman accent, “Woah woah. We aren’t here for you. We’re here for the little patient.”

  
  
Edward growled and pushed himself up the wall to stand, “What the hell do you want with my brother?”

  
  
The Drachman’s eyebrows rose, “Brother? Well to help actually.”

  
  
A small voice, “Brother..?”

  
  
Edward jerked and almost fell, Roy steadied him as the other stumbled, trying to get to the bed. 

“Al…” Edward’s voice was soft. 

Alphonse Elric looked so confused. The Edward he’d known was 11 years old and Roy held his breath. 

Then Alphonse started crying and Edward held him close and valiantly held back his own tears.

Roy figured he’d deal with the Drachmans. He called it in and found out the group that set this whole thing in motion had been somewhat undercover. They had infiltrated the main group and once they had found out about Alphones, their leader- Nikko had made it so he was keeping an eye on him. He made sure the boy had the proper care. It turns out Alphonse had been awake for awhile, he didn’t have the strength to do much else than cling to his brother and cry. Cry for the 10 years he’d missed. 

  
  
Roy handled the police that came in, he made sure they knew the group of Drachman’s with them were companions, and they had handled the raid with non-lethal force. He made sure they knew the Elrics were safe, that his others knew the brothers had  _ both  _ been Drachman prisoners. 

Edward had stared at him with wide glossy eyes, and before the paramedics could get him in the ambulance he threw himself at Roy, his arm wrapping around the other’s neck. Roy wrapped his own around the other’s waist. The small blonde with a nonstop stream of gratitude pouring from his mouth. They really looked the part of a kidnappee hugging their savior. 

  
  
Roy knew it was more than that.

__

He didn’t get to see a lot of the Elrics after that. He knew Edward had spent a lot of his time in the hospital with his brother. He knew Alphonse was healing pretty well, was actually healing much quicker than those expected. He didn’t even seem too upset that he hadn’t really been in his body for 10 years. He was just happy to be there. He had known what was going on while locked in his head for the most part. Roy thought it might have been torture, but Alphonse wasn’t the type to complain. 

  
  
He was actually one of the sweetest kids he’d ever met. 

Roy had spent quite a bit of time questioning him and the Drachmans. Someone else had questioned Edward. Roy hadn't stopped thinking about him. 

  
  
It had been nearly a year since he had seen any sign of him. In any capacity. 

Yet he knew that Alphonse had gone home, that most of the Drachmans had too, but one had stuck around. He had stuck round for Alphonse, the two had built up quite a rapport in the few days Al had been kidnapped. Nikko had ended up being a pretty cool guy, Roy still saw him more often than either of the others.

Hell he met with Nikko more than he did members of his own family. The damn guy could easily turn into one of his friends, a good one at that.

Nikko was the one that had delivered a letter to Roy, just for him. He placed it directly into the man’s hands and grinned. Roy looked to the letter as Nikko left, a grin on the Drachman’s face. On the letter was his name in a handwriting he had slowly come to know through those few days with the little thief. His heart kicked up in his chest and he opened the letter slowly, as if he would break some sort of spell only he was under. 

Inside was an address. 

And a time. 

Roy couldn’t fight the giddy grin or the butterflies in his stomach. They fluttered all day. 

__

He was maybe a little bit early, but he was excited, and it wasn’t a museum. It wasn’t really much of anything. It was just a bridge in the middle of nowhere. 

  
  
He figured he would have to wait, but he didn’t have to wait long. He didn’t even hear him when he approached, he didn’t know he was there until a flesh and metal hand covered his eyes.

“Guess who.”

  
  
“A thief that hasn’t made good on their promise.”

  
  
He heard Edward huff and turned to see his expression, pure faux irritation. “What promise?”

  
“That you’d return everything you stole.” Roy grinned.

  
  
Edward waved a hand, “Oh no I got rid of that stuff a long time ago. I’ve got buyers all over the world y'know~. Besides I did keep  _ one  _ thing, but I don’t think I’m gonna be giving it back anytime soon.” 

Roy rose a brow, and it rose even more as Edward draped his arms around his neck. There was something to be said that he had to be on his tiptoes to do it, but Roy kept quiet about that. All he did was hum in curiosity. What did Edward keep? 

  
  
He leaned up, closer and closer to Roy’s face, his voice merely a whisper, “Think I kept a little bit of your heart, Officer Pretty Boy.” 

  
  
Roy laughed and sealed their lips together, arms finding their place around Edward’s waist and pulling him closer. 

“I think I can let you keep it, but I might ask if I can see it, every now and again.” He brushed his nose along the one in front of him.

  
  
Edward was a shining beacon, beautiful and bright and golden. “You can watch it whenever you want. Wanna see more of you bastard… I...think I missed you...kind of a lot. Plus Al wants to meet you too. Officially. So you gotta, ain’t no choice.”

  
  
“Oh, well if I have no choice, I guess you’ll just have to take me in~.”

  
  
Edward’s eyes shone with mischief, “Can I borrow the handcuffs?”

  
Roy laughed and trailed a hand down Edward’s back, sending a tremor down the other’s spine. “Not now, darling. But maybe later.”

  
  
Edward’s eyes were stars as he danced away from Roy’s hands, holding out his own to the other. An invitation Roy was more than glad to take. A journey to a bad neighborhood, and up a tricky little ladder that had changed quite a bit from the last time he had visited. Through a window that was locked to all hands but one of flesh and steel and into a room that was no longer a detective’s office, but a cozy room filled with more warmth than before.

**Author's Note:**

> lmk what you think! i hope it makes sense!


End file.
